The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-09-18
\ SCrniou--Eor sunday.

Thou shalt not bear fa'-e witness
against thy neighbour T. % bit Of an
cicnt literature which seems to have
been forgotten in these latter dbys of
progre-- 1t seem that many people
are so pushed and rushed by the won.
doriul triumphs which they are win.
ming that they really have no time 20
be truthful, or to do their ncighbor
Justice I'm that remarkable case winch
Is now being tried before the bar of
public opinion in IcXgs. wherein it
appears Il az several yclr- since Parson
Briggs lcctured and in which he may
have used the words ascribcd to him.
or he may not. If yea, there was but
little harm done, because neither
Briggs nor any other nan could incitc
haitcrs or dungeons Tor any class OF
our fellow cit IONS, be they inhdcl or
chr -tian. At its worst, il true, there
wa, no injury done, and none could
occur, because the iuiidel fee thinker
has lust AZ many and lust as well
guarded RICH ~ has his brother
who has COrns on his knees foot
long. Then We ss} it was but All idle
expression which is dug up after -oycn
years and fer what purpose; Noth-
irg save TO break down
aud destroy man whom
the News hates. The News says
Brigg- il common la'silisr and
blachguard. This is bearing false
witne-- against it, nclghbOr. because
it knows It is not true. He j, neither
the one nor the other. But he News
hate him in some Of the inscrutible
mysteries of its selfish economy, nnd
takes this mcthcd TO down him.
There are others in Texa- equally
a- bad. There are others who
wan;only spread abroad the base
less CHARGES that the News makes.
Not only is this the cl-c with the
Briggs business, but with other not
able instances OF malcyoicnco aud
piic. In every community there are
Idle men and, we fear, sometimes idle
women tco, who delight IN retailing
oycry bit Ci half formed scandal
which is uttered either in jest or in
mere inucndo. by the tine it trav-
ella through two or three hands, "a
mere whisper Of doubt becomes
mountain, granite ribbed and strong,
of absolute truth and entire convlc-
ton. II matter, not what tears now,
what lives are blasted, what hopes
are wilhercd, SO tho bca-tly slaudercr
Is gralilicd with the writing of the
helpless Victim. Sometimes this hate
pursucs for long years aud knows
no abatement. 1t Hes sccthing in
the black heart where it was conceiv-
ed, ana sometimes even passes the
confines of eternity and blackcus the
character of the dead. II is confined
to no single walk i'll life no particular
class OF people, but is found in all,
but il is none the less hateful for its
very uniYcrsality. But Wherever it
exists whether in the breast of
preacher, the heart of babling wo-
man, IN II merchant, u politician. II
lawyer, u doctor hacI-driyer or a
school master, it ID equally hateful,
equally rcprcheneiblc. There is mis-.
cry in every exhibition of it, no matter
whore II Is found or vino project. il.
The law has no safeguard against
this evil, II can erect no barriers
which this sort Of malcvolcncc may
not pass. There is but one remedy
which is Mt all competent, aud that g.,
public opinion. Public opinion hath II
thousand lashcs OF scorpions which
the slandcrcr fears aud which no dare
not encounter. This is the remedy
Wherever one resorts to this means
TO destroy ms neighbor by bearing
false witness. let public opinion lash
him luto IA decent respect for itself
Ii thus remedy is applied in the
New Briggs case there will be moth
ing left to desire, so far a. all the
ends OF justice go. It viii bo sufi-
cient not only to protect Briggs, but
every other honest man and pure
woman in Texas tor none are safe
from maleyolcut hate such q, this
unslghtly raid Indicates, The News
with all ofi,sachnow lodged weight is
me- strong enough to run counter to
public opinion, and few manifesto.
tons its power only will serve to
teach The News II lesson which itwul
never forget In allorits future hi,to.
ry,
We could make some strong local
applications OF this lesson but we
forbeal for the present, hut proml-e